Chirps from Center Ice

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The Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins concluded their road trip with a midweek trip to the division leading Providence Bruins, who have been on a better form then the Penguins of late and who still have a bunch of games in hand on the Penguins.

You wouldn’t know it if you watched the game Wednesday, as the Penguins, with a huge assist from services and skills of their goaltender Sergei Murashov, win 4-1 to reclaim first place in the Atlantic Division and first place in the Eastern Conference.

Tristan Broz had a pair of goals, Joona Koppanen and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard also had goals.

Murashov stopped 36 and was 1:36 away from a shutout.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Aidan McDonough returned from injury. Tristan Broz was sent back from Pittsburgh right as my Weekend Preview went up this morning around 10:30. Max Graham was returned to Wheeling. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard drew in also, replacing Brayden Edwards and Zach Urdahl up front. Caleb Jones made his WBS debut on his conditioning stint, Finn Harding drew in. David Breazeale and Ryan Graves.

First Period: Good start for the Penguins, as a Gabe Klassen shot was stopped by Michael DiPietro, but then batted in from out of the air by Joona Koppanen that gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead before the game was two minutes old.

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But then, the Bruins heavily leaned on Sergei Murashov who made saves like this, that kept the Bruins off the scoreboard in the period.

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The Bruins carried play for the last 12 minutes but ran into Sergei Murashov.

Second Period: Bruins continued to pile up the shots and were aided by two power plays awarded to them by refs Jim Curtin and Austin Rook, but Sergei Murashov and the Penguins penalty killing unit kept them off the score sheet.

Had a feeling that the next goal (if it were to come) would be a big one.

Hey, Tristan Broz!

NHL caliber snipe for the Penguins leading scorer here gives the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

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This gave the Penguins an obvious cushion heading into the…

Third Period: Penguins had two cracks at the power play and let’s just say they didn’t do well.

Bruins, feeling the heat, pull DiPietro for the extra attacker but Dans Locmelis bounced a pass off the boards for a player that wasn’t there. The puck then slid harmlessly all the way down and into the unguarded net.

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Tristan Broz was credited with the goal.

The Bruins tried it again, and this time Rafaël Harvey-Pinard was credited with the empty net goal.

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Michael Callahan scored through a Murashov screen that spoiled the shutout bid with under two minutes to play.

(it’s late on a work night, I’m not sticking around to see if the Bruins post a GIF or not)

Three Stars: 3) Valtteri Puustinen (two assists) 2) Tristan Broz (two goals) 1) Sergei Murashov (36 saves)

The Good: This was a statement win, if there ever was one. I think both the Penguins and Bruins have their flaws. Charlotte exposes those flaws on the Penguins and the. Penguins expose those flaws on the Bruins.

I liked how Murashov stayed unnerved after the barrage the Bruins set off on him for about 40 minutes of play.

The Bad: Caleb Jones, returning from injury and here on a conditioning stint from Pittsburgh, was injured in the second period and didn’t return.

Also, for goodness sakes try to get your goaltender a road shutout, willya?

Turning Point: The Broz goal in the second gets it here. It gave the Pens confidence, a two goal road lead, and gave some cushion to Murashov. Providence wasn’t the same after.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Hershey on the road 3-2 in overtime and Charlotte creams Springfield on back to back nights, winning 8-2.

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 51 — Charlotte 44 – Lehigh Valley 42 – Hershey 37 – Springfield 32 – Bridgeport and Hartford 31

Wheeling Update: Nailers were off.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

The Penguins return home to host the all of a sudden pesky Hartford Wolf Pack for a pair this Friday and Saturday.

Let’s Go Pens!

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A complete flip of the script from Friday where the Penguins all pulled in the same direction sees the Checkers get revenge on Wilkes-Barre and win 5-1 on Saturday night.

It’s the first win for the home team in this series.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Rafaël Harvey-Pinard was recalled to Pittsburgh this afternoon as Bryan Rust is day to day. This meant that Brayden Edwards got back into the lineup for the Penguins up front. David Breazeale for Finn Harding on defense.

First Period: Seemed like a slow start for the Penguins and the Checkers took advantage.

Michael Benning crashes the net, the puck pops up in the air and Jack Devine was the last player to touch it which gave the Checkers a 1-0 lead.

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Later, on four on four, Nolan Foote ripped a shot past Blomqvist that made it 2-0 Checkers.

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Bit of a dreary start.

Second Period: Alex Steeves like he did Friday, scores from out of no where that makes it 3-0 Charlotte.

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The Penguins had a few power plays that looked really bad and were just awarded on here and you got the sense that they needed to get one here as this seemed like a turning point.

Enter Ryan Graves.

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But that turning point I was telling you about? Yeah, well not that turn, but this turn, a few seconds later where Jack Devine nets his second of the game, makes it 4-1 Charlotte and re-establishes the Checkers three goal lead.

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Collectively they were flat and to have a guy like Devine just. floating in the slot unmarked there for the goal is just bad.

Third Period: I am not going to talk about how bad and out to lunch the officials both on and off the ice were, the list of penalties in the second period should do that for you.

Nothing going for the Penguins and it’s always a sign of desperation when the head coach pulls the goalie for the extra man with about eight minutes to play. I mean you are a bad team on the man advantage to start with, why do that?

Nate Smith scored an empty netter that made it 5-1. I am not going to post a video of that.

Three Stars: 3) Kirill Gerasimyuk (23 saves) 2) Jack Devine (two goals) 1) Ben Steeves (goal, two assists)

The Good: Overall I thought Zach Urdahl and Brayden Edwards were probably the best players on the ice on both ends. Finished checks, played hard, et cetera.

The Bad: When I say a flip of the script, Dumba was a -2, Ryan Graves a -3 along with Valtteri Puustinen and Ville Koivunen. Tristan Broz was frustrated overall, taking 12 minutes in PIMs.

Turning Point: Gave it to you above, the second Devine goal.

Around the Division: I will probably jump in an edit these in later, but here’s the finals as this goes up around 8:45 on Saturday night…Bridgeport wins 4-2 against Utica…Lehigh Valley beats Springfield 3-2. Hershey beat Cleveland 3-2 and Hartford beat Providence 5-1.

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 49 — Lehigh Valley 42 – Charlotte 40 – Hershey 35 – Springfield 32 – Bridgeport and Hartford 29

Wheeling Update: Nailers hosted the Trois-Rivières Lions and shut them out 5-0. Max Pavlenko with 26 saves.

Video Highlights: Hard pass, thanks.

Big game to kick off the second half of the season coming Wednesday when they travel up to Providence. Weekend Preview will be out Wednesday afternoon. Stay warm.

Let’s Go Pens!

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I guess I spoke it into existence in the Weekend Preview when I mentioned that Tristan Broz’s dry spell was concerning. A goal and two assists in the last ten games for Broz.

Friday night in Charlotte, though, a completely different story.

Broz records a goal and three assists, and the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins rout the Charlotte Checkers 5-1. Sergei Murashov had 21 saves. Matt Dumba led the defensemen with a +3 rating in his best game as a Penguin. Just an overall fantastic night and a hell of a way to snap a three game losing skid.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Gabe Klassen returned from injury. Ville Koivunen returned from Pittsburgh and Zach Urdahl made AHL debut. Max Graham, Brayden Edwards and Raivis Ansons were out. D pairings were exactly the same from Saturday in Syracuse.

Raivis Ansons was injured in Syracuse and is week to week with an upper body injury. The rest of them are status quo. Daniel Laatsch week to week lower. Aidan McDonough day to day upper. Sebastian Aho week to week lower. Alex Alexyev day to day upper. Avery Hayes week to week upper. No word on why Joel Blomqvist isn’t backing up.

First Period: At the expiration of a power play, Tristan Broz scores a goal that gives the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

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Great back check, steal and snipe by Broz. Well overdue.

Zach Gallant trucked Cooper Black late in the period with help on a back checking Jack Devine. All hell broke loose after that and Gallant was assessed a penalty. I thought that this action had a direct affect on the next thing I am about to describe to you that happened in the…

Second Period: Matt Dumba ripped a shot that beat Cooper Black, but Zach Gallant was in the crease of the Charlotte goaltender. Referee Damian Figueira washed the goal out immediately.

No one knows what goaltender interference is and you are lying to yourself if you know what it is. But I thought that was interesting that Gallant’s hijinks in the first may have had some bearing on whether Figueira let the goal stand or not.

Boko Imama ripped a shot that left no doubt…

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Big goal for the Penguins who get some breathing room and it’s always fun like a guy like Boko Imama scores on the opposition.

Third Period: The Penguins jump out to a four goal lead and Tristan Broz led the charge.

He sets up Gabe Klassen for this goal here that makes it 3-0.

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Good to see Klassen pick up where he left off before his injury with the hot stick.

Broz then set up Valtteri Puustinen who scored on a backhander and it was 4-0….

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Off the face-off, ok sure whatever Alex Steeves scores to spoil the. would be Murashov shutout.

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But then Broz picks up a secondary assist on an Atley Calvert goal that came of off a rebound of a Valtteri Puustinen shot.

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Three Stars: 3) Valtteri Puustinen (goal, assist) 2) Atley Calvert (goal, assist) 1) Tristan Broz (goal, three assists)

The Good: Great to see them all pulling the same rope in this game, which resulted in a rout of their opponent.

The Bad: 0/5 on the power play. What was once a power play in the top half of the AHL in efficiency, has fallen all the way down to 31st out of 32 teams.

Turning Point: It’s the Imama goal that gets it here. Close game on a razors edge and here’s Imama like a bull in a china shop trucking his way in and scoring a goal. This opened the game up a bit and Broz took advantage.

Around the Division: Providence beats Bridgeport 4-1 and Springfield smokes Hartford 7-4.

Standings: Penguins and Bruins 49 – Lehigh Valley 40 – Charlotte 38 – Hershey 33 – Springfield 32 – Hartford and Bridgeport 27

Wheeling Update: Nailers with a nice 4-3 win at home against Trois-Rivières. Brent Johnson and Tommy Budnick with goals, Taylor Gauthier stopped 24 of 27.

Video Highlights: AHL VideoCenter is your best bet.

Back at it Saturday at 6 in Charlotte. Fun fact for you, the home team has yet to win in this series. We will see if that changes tomorrow. Talk to you then.

Let’s Go Pens!

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Is it a good thing or a bad thing that this was the only game of the weekend for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins?

It can be both.

It can be both good and bad that they don’t have to go out there and embarrass themselves again this weekend after a lifeless effort in Syracuse where they were down 3-0 before the game was even five minutes old, didn’t record a shot until the thirteen minute mark of the period and were down 5-0 after the first period where they only recorded four shots on goal.

It’s bad, sure, that they lost 6-0, but they are missing a bunch of regulars and can use this time in between games together those bodies healed.

That’s the hope.

Here’s how they lined up:

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Lineup Notes: Egor Zamula, acquired in a trade for Philip Tomasino, didn’t report to the team and was suspended. Max Graham and Brayden Edwards drew in up from for the traded Tomasino and the released William Dufour. Ryan Graves and Finn Harding, returning from injury, replaced David Breazeale and Scooter Brickey on defense.

First Period: I have time since I do these in between intermissions when they are on the road, so let’s kick off this disaster of a period.

More pylon work by Matt Dumba, Syracuse scores on it’s first shot of the game when Tristan Allard scores on the Crunch’s first shot of the game:

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Then the Penguins take a penalty and Syracuse makes quick work of the man advantage and score with a Dylan Duke goal that gives the Crunch a 2-0 lead.

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Then, on a delayed penalty against the Penguins, ex-Penguin Jared Tinordi lays into one and it’s 3-0.

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This is 4:34 into the game!

The Penguins didn’t record a shot on goal until Matt Dumba, who was a -4 in the period, took a shot that was saved by Brandon Halverson.

A turnover by Ryan Graves and Jakob Pelletier scores.

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Conor Geekie just blows past Matt Dumba and blows one past Sergei Murashov with under a minute to play and it’s 5-0.

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They were collectively bad, but that was a shot that Murashov should have had.

It would be the last shot he would see.

Second Period: Enter Filip Larsson. I don’t know if the Crunch let off at all after that ass kicking in the first period or what, but he was miles better than Sergei Murashov.

The Penguins took some penalties which killed any scant momentum that they were trying to build down five, but there was no scoring in the period.

Third Period: The Crunch score :45 into a carry over penalty from the second period with a goal by Nick Abruzzese.

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The game devolved into a penalty slop fest after that. One of the hurdles not mentioned is Brandon Halverson has the Penguins number whenever he tends net for the Crunch so you really have to be good to beat him. Down a zillion with two orange pylons acting as defensemen with a bunch of ECHL slop acting as forwards while all of your good players are either hurt or sitting in Pittsburgh press boxes is going to make easy work for the defending Hap Holmes winner.

Three Stars: 3) Jakob Pelletier (goal, assist) 2) Conor Geekie (goal, two assists) 1) Jared Tinordi (Goa, two assists, fight, 27 PIMs)

The Good: This space for rent.

The Bad: I’d sit Murashov next Friday in Charlotte. He’s been as bad as the team playing in front of him. Mix in a save, pal. He maybe could have had the Pelletier and Geekie shots and letting the first one in is a bad look. I’d also leave Matt Dumba off in Binghamton on the way back home to Wilkes-Barre, but you can’t do that.

Around the Division: Hartford beats Springfield 4-1….Lehigh Valley beats Belleville 3-1…Cleveland beats Charlotte 6-3 (finally some good news) and Hershey beats Rockford 5-4.

Standings: Penguins 47 – Providence 45 – Charlotte and Lehigh Valley 38 – Hershey 31 – Springfield 30 – Hartford and Springfield 27

Wheeling Update: Nailers win 4-1 at home against the Bloomington Bison. Half of their team is here and yet they are having better results with guys up from the SPHL and Federal Leagues. Taylor Gauthier stopped 31.

Video Highlights: No thanks!

They will have a week of practice to heal, regroup, and hopefully have a better, more competitive effort in Charlotte for a pair. They are in a gauntlet right now with their next three games against Charlotte twice, and Providence the following Wednesday, all on the road.

My pool is a block of ice, so I will be here for all of it, good or bad.

Let’s Go Pens!